THE BIG BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION

by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

978-1-10191-009-2

1216pp/$25.00/July 2016

Over the past several years, Ann and Jeff VanderMeer have quietly built a reputation for their anthologies, both original, such as The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, and retrospective, like their massive The Time Traveler's Almanac. Their latest endeavour, the aptly named The Big Book of Science Fiction, eclipses all of their previous successful anthologies. This massive book includes 105 short stories, ranging from H.G. Wells's 1897 "The Star" to Johanna Sinisalo's 2002 story "Baby Doll."

The VanderMeers include several expected authors and short stories. The book contains the requisite Bradbury, Clarke, and Asimov, as well as Hugo and Nebula Award winners and nominees. In truth, these selections are relatively familiar friends, available in numerous other readily available anthologies and collections. The real strength of the anthology is when the editors have strayed from the established path, whether with lesser known American and English authors or with authors whose first language is not English.

In The Big Book of Science Fiction, they define and argue for an inclusive view of science fiction as a genre which can include not only the space opera of Edmond Hamilton's "The Star Stealers," but also the existential isolationist "Darkness," by Brazilian André Carneiro and the satirical "Let Us Save the Universe," by Stanislaw Lem, here presented in a new translation by Joel Stern and Maria Switcicja-Ziemianek, rather than Lem's traditional translator, Michael Kandel. In fact, most of the numerous translated stories in The Big Book of Science Fiction are presented in new translati10:07 PM 7/7/2016on.

Theme isn't the only sign of inclusivity. Clare Winger Harris, represented by "The Fate of the Poseidonia," is the first modern female science fiction author to publish under her own name. The story is typical of her work, in that it is more descriptive than narrative. and the VanderMeers have also included numerous authors in translation from countries including China, represented by Cixin Liu's "The Poetry Cloud," Germany with Paul Scheerbart's "The New Overworld," and the Soviet Union with Valentina Zhuravlyova's story "The Astronaut." All of these stories, and more, stand on their own. For all that science fiction has been called an "American artform," the VanderMeers successfully demonstate that from its earliest days, authors around the world have used the tropes of science fiction to explore the world around them.

While the stories speak for themselves, The Big Book of Science Fiction sets out to do more than just give the reader numerous stories to enjoy and think about. Each story includes a brief introduction, which not only places the story within the context of the author's career, but also discusses the author's place in the world. These introductions don't shy away from controversy, discussing Karl Hans Strobl's descent into Nazism, even as it presents his "The Triumph of Mechanics." It does lead to the question of how easy it is to separate an artist from his work. Can a modern reader enjoy Strobl's pre-World War I writings knowing that in World War II he was a member of the Nazi party who wrote propaganda?

Readers who have prescribed views of what science fiction is...whether it needs to include spaceships or aliens or laser guns, will have their eyes opened by the breadth of stories included within The Big Book of Science Fiction, and may even feel the need to debate whether a specific story is science fiction, but in their introduction, the VanderMeers provide clear guidance as to their definition of what science fiction encompasses, which the rest of the book supports.

The book is only available in electronic and paperback formats, which is a shame. Given its size, the electronic format is certainly easier (and lighter) to read, allowing the reader to flip between the stories without worrying about breaking the book's spine of their own wrists. However, a book like this offers a certain amount of heft and permanence, which is more assured with an hardcover edition, but this is a minor quibble for a book with such fantastic and broad contents.

There are also a handful of familiar authors whose stories don't grace the pages of this massive book. If no Heinlein story appears (VanderMeer has stated there was a rights issue), it isn't really necessary, his works are available elsewhere. and the lack of another Heinlein reprint means that the VanderMeers were able to include lesser known authors such as Will Worthington or Juan José Arreola, whose work is not well known to the majority of The Big Book of Science Fiction's audience.

Over the years, science fiction has seen numerous general surveys, from Ursula K.Le Guin's The Norton Book of Science Fiction to James Gunn's six-volume The Road to Science Fiction to David Hartwell's Science Fiction Century. The VanderMeers have added a useful and welcome addition to that category, offering a depth and breadth vision of the field which has rarely been seen.